Humidifier and air-cleaner.



G. B. GRIFFIN.

HUMIDIFIER AND AIR CLEANER.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1911. 1 1N 26? Patented M21122, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mull! WITNESSES:

G. B. GRIFFIN.

HUMIDIFIER AND AIR CLEANER.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1911. LlgQgfiF I Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 I WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. GEORGE BREWER GRIFFIN, 0F EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HUMIDIFIER AND AIR-CLEANER Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11, 1911. Serial No. 637,999.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known thatI, GEORGE B. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United -States,and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Humidifiers and Air-Cleaners, of which the incleaning and moistening the air which is set in motion bythe fan blades.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view, mainly in side elevation but partially in section, of a fan motor equipped with my invention, Fig. 2 is a view, partially ,in section and partially in elevation, of the air-moistening and cleaning attachment shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View of a fabric-fastening device.

My invention is shown as applied to what is known as a desk fan driven by an electric motor, but it will be understood that the air-moisteriing and cleaning device may be utilized in connection with any fan, how- 'ever the same maybe driven, and in connection with any means for producing a. current of air, whatever may be its location or relation to other apparatus.

Referring now' specifically to what is shown in the drawings, the electric motor 1 may be of any well known or desired type fordriving fan blades, the fan blades 2 being rigidly mounted upon the shaft 3 of, the

motor and their hub 4 being provided with a groove 5 to receive a belt 6.

.Mounted loosely upon the outer end of the shaft i'i, is a wheel 7, the inner ends of the spokes 8 of which are clamped between two disks 9 and 10, the former of which is integral with the hub ll and the latter of which is fastened inposition by screws 12 and a nut'13Q The outer ends of-the spokes 8 are seated in rim segments 14: that may befastened together by any desired or suitable means, dowel pins 15 being indicated as centering devices and pivoted latches 16 what I have indicated in the drawing.

and cotiperating pins 17 being indicated for holding the abutting ends of the segments in'engagement. The rim segments are provided with sets of spring pins or clips 18 and the'spokes 8 are provided with similar device 19, these pins or clips being provided assupports for sheets of textile fabric 20,

each sheet being cut to substantially the form of the space between the rim and adjacent spokes and beingfastened in position by booking the edges over the projecting. ends of the spring clips or pins. The wheel, when thus covered, presents a substantially continuous disk of fabric to the current of air delivered by the fan. The fabric may be of any suitable character that is of sufficiently open mesh to permit the fan blades to blow air through it. Instead of providing a series of sections of fabric, as here indicated, it will, of course, be possible to employ a single sheet of fabric of the proper form or any number of sheets other than In order to moisten the fabric for the purpose of cleaning and moistening the air that is blown through it by the fan, I mount a trough 21 upon a suitable base 22 and. fill this trough with liquid, preferably water, which may be'scented, if desired, to such a height that a portion of each sheet of fabric will dip into the water as the wheel is r0- tated. Capillary attraction will serveto distribute the waterror other liquid over the entire fabric, so that any air blown through the-Wheel will be cleaned and moistened.

In order to drive the wheel at a slow speed, I mount a friction pinion 23 upon a shaft 24 in position to engage the periphery of the rim of the Wheel'and mount the shaft in suitable hearings in a pivoted frame 25,

between the arms of which and upon the shaft 2%, I mount a pulley 26 to receive the belt ,6 which is driven by the motor 1. The

lower end of the 'frame 25, which carries the shaft 224, is mounted uponarod 27 and the latter is mounted in bearingsin a' standard 28 with which the base 22 is provided. In order to force the friction pinion 23 into engagement with the rim of the wheel 7, I surround the rod 271with a helical spring means for performing the desired functions.

It will be understood from the drawings ric-cove'red wheel will be driven at a slow speed relative to the speed of the, motor shaft and, consequently, that the fabric will be gradually dip aed into the liquid in the trough 21 and t us keep moistened suffi-.

ciently .to clean-the air that is blown through the fabric by the fan blades and also wash out'a large part of the accumulated dust as well as again moisten it to the desired degree. It will also be'understood thatthe structural details and dimensions of the wheel and'the means'for-driving it may be varied from what 1 have shown and described in any manner or degree within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: v

1 The combination with a fan motor and .a fabric-covered wheel concentrically mounted with respect to the fan blades, of speed reducing/gearing.between the motor shaft and said wheel and a liquid-containing trough in which successive portions of the outer. edge of said fabric are submerged as the wheel is rotated.

2. The combinati vhaving fan blades mounted upon its shaft, of a wheel concentrically mounted-with respect to said fanblades and provided with a circular fabric-cover, speed-reducing gearingbetween the motor and said Wheel and a trough containing liquid in which the outer edge of the fabric dips as the wheel is ro- .taited.

The combination with an electric motor having fan blades mounted upon its shaft, of

a wheel having sheets of fabric mounted-- thereon to cover the, spaces between its spokes, speed-reducingfgearing between the motor and said wheel, and a trough containing liquid into which the outer edges ofthe sheets of fabric successively dip as the Wheel is rotated.- r

4. The combination with shaft, of a concentrically mounted wheel in which the outer edges of theft! on with an electric motor ing aring between. the motor and said whee, and a liquid-containing) trough into dip as the wheel is rotated. 4

5. The combination with a fan motor and a fabric covered wheel mounted infront of the fan blades, of speed-reducing gear ng between the motor and said. wheel, and a liquid-containing trough into which the outer edges of the-fabric dips as the wheelis" rotated.

6. The combination with a fan motorrof a wheel rotatably mounted in front of the fan blades and provided with a detachable fabric covering, speed-reducing'gearing between the fan motor shaft and said outer edge of the Wheel, and a liquid-containing trough into which the wheel fabric dips as the wheel is rotated.

7. The combination with a' fan and -driv-' 'ing means therefor, of a fabric-covered wheel mounted infront of said fan, speed- I ric segments reducing gearing between the fan-driving means and said wheel, and a liquid-contaim ing trough into which the outer edge-of the 1 wheel fabric dips as the wheel is rotated.

8. The combination with ,a fan and a fabric-covered wheel rotatably mounted in front .of said fan,.of means for driving said v j wheel at, a' relatively slowspeed', and a liquid-containing trough into which the outer edge of the-fabric dips as the wheel is rotated.

' 9. The combination with a motor-driven fan and a fabric-covereddisk rotatably mounted in front bf-said fan, of speed-re; ducing gearing betweenthe fan'sh. ft an the disk, and a liquid-containing trough into which the outer-iedge of the fabric di as the disk .is rotated; a

In testimony whereof, I have-hereunto. subscribed my'name this 17th day of June, 1911. a i an electric motor and fan blades mounted upon the motor.

GiJoRGE BREWER erm-a; Witnesses: v

A. R. Na'rcn'nn, B. B. Hnzns. 1

Corrections in Letters Patent No 1 ,130,267.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,130,267, granted March 2, 1915,.

upon the application of George Bretver Griffin, of Edgewood Park, Pennsylvania, 'for a,n im rovement in Humidifiers and Air-Cleaners errors a ear in the rinted P a P P specification requiring correction as follows: Page 5, lines 64-65, strike out the words 'outer edge of the same page, line 66, before the word Wheel insert the words outer edge of the; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the sarne maLy conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofice.

Signed and sealed this 23d day of March, A. 1)., 1915.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Oomvhz'ssiomr of Patents. 

